Originally from: The Guardian UK and tweaked for Australia audience by National Stroke Foundation.

What do the two readings mean?

Blood pressure is measured in “millimetres of mercury” (mm Hg) and is written as two numbers. The first (or top) number is your systolic blood pressure. It is the highest level your blood pressure reaches when your heart beats. The second (or bottom) number is your diastolic blood pressure. It is the lowest level your blood pressure reaches as your heart relaxes between beats.

How do I know if I have high blood pressure?

High blood pressure usually has no signs or symptoms, so the only way to know if you have hypertension is to have your blood pressure measured. The National Heart Foundation of Australia currently defines normal adult blood pressure as less than 120/80 mmHg. A reading between 120/80 and 140/90 mmHg is classified as normal to high blood pressure. High blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or higher. If your blood pressure is 180/110 or higher, you have very high blood pressure.

If it has no symptoms why should I be concerned?

High blood pressure can lead to a heart attack, a stroke, heart failure or kidney disease.

There are often no symptoms of high blood pressure. Therefore, it is important that you have regular blood pressure checks. The only way to find out if your blood pressure is high is by having it checked regularly by a health professional.

Does blood pressure rise with age?

High blood pressure is caused by a range of factors including age, gender and family history. In most economically developed societies, blood pressure progressively rises with age although its unclear how much of this is to do with age per se or a lifetime of exposure to modifiable risk factors such as excessive salt and cholesterol intake, poor diet, physical inactivity and smoking.

Isn’t having a test quite anxiety-making?

Indeed. “White coat syndrome” is a phenomenon in which patients exhibit elevated blood pressure in a clinical setting but not at home. It is believed that this may be due to the anxiety some people experience when their reading is taken by a doctor.

To obtain a more accurate ambulatory reading, experts recommend that blood pressure should ideally be taken at home twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening, with follow-up readings over several days.

One of my parents has high blood pressure: does that put me at risk?

Approximately 30% of cases of essential hypertension are attributable to genetic factors. For example, individuals who have one or two parents with hypertension are twice as likely to suffer from hypertension as the general population.

To date researchers have identified 28 blood pressure genes, including several that control a group of hormones known collectively as the angiotensin-renin-aldosterone system. This system influences all aspects of blood pressure control, including blood vessel contraction, sodium and water balance, and cell development in the heart. One theory as to why these genes may have been conserved in populations is that in times when salt was scarce, they conferred a survival advantage by enabling the body to conserve more sodium.

Image originally via HeraldSun

We all like to think that every time we speak we might save a life or assist in preventing dependent disability. There are no doubt many good news stories we don’t hear about and we are all making a difference every timed we speak. It is however very gratifying when we do hear these stories.

Late last year I spoke to a community group of about 20 women in their 70’s and 80’s. Recently the organiser of this talk contacted the NSF to let us know that a lady who heard me talk had a stroke a few months after hearing my presentation. The good news is, because of the strokesafe Ambassador presentation she recognised the signs of stroke, called 000 and has made a strong recovery.

In the busy-ness of kids, work and life my husband and I had begun jesting about me not talking time off work or away from family for groups of less than 80 young people, joking of course.

But joking aside, the key thing I’ve been reminded of is that every life is important. The quality of life of every stroke survivor matters. Stroke recovery is a difficult and lonely journey for all stroke survivors and those close to them, regardless of age.

The volunteering that we all do for the National Stroke Foundation really does make such a big difference to so many people.

Thanks for the post Karen. This story highlights how the fundraising our community does can directly affect someone life. With the money you raise we are able to channel funds into community programs about awareness, fund life saving research into stroke, lobby government and offer support for those affected by stroke.

A revolutionary iPhone app launched today will empower Australian shoppers to make healthier food choices and reduce their risk of dying early from two of the nation’s biggest killers – heart attack and stroke.

In three easy steps, Australian consumers can reduce excessively high levels of fat, salt and sugar in their families’ diets and share shopping lists with friends via social media.

Developed in Australia, and tailored for Australian shoppers, FoodSwitch allows users to scan the barcode of packaged foods using their iPhone camera and receive immediate, easy to understand nutritional advice and see healthier choices.

Importantly, the app displays healthier choices based on the nutritional value of more than 20,000 packaged food products found in Australian supermarkets - the result of three years of research by pre-eminent food and health policy experts from The George Institute for Global Health, and launched thanks to a new partnership with Bupa, one of Australia’s leading healthcare organisations.

“FoodSwitch’s three step approach marries the latest technology with cutting edge research. Australians can now scan barcodes, see what’s in a food, and switch to a healthier choice in an instant,” Professor Bruce Neal, Senior Director at The George Institute, said.

Bupa’s Head of Clinical Advisory, Dr Stan Goldstein, said FoodSwitch puts Bupa and The George Institute at the forefront of improving Australian families’ diets with a simple, practical tool.

“FoodSwitch comes at a pivotal time in the food labelling debate, with the Federal Government still considering changes towards food labelling systems for Australia,” Dr Goldstein said.

“While the food labelling debate is ongoing, this app uses the best available science to deliver immediate, easy-to-understand nutritional information so users can switch to healthier options now.”

Professor Neal said heart disease, stroke and other diseases caused mostly by a poor diet are the biggest killers in Australia.

“Choosing a healthier diet has to be made easier, because good eating habits are one of the best and most cost-effective ways to prevent disease,” Professor Neal said.

“For too long, people have grappled with confusing food labels. And with FoodSwitch there is no reason why this should continue.”

FoodSwitch ambassador, Olympic swimmer and television host Nicole Livingstone agrees that current food labelling – including front of pack claims and nutrition information panels – makes it incredibly difficult for parents to buy healthier foods.

“As parents, we all want our kids to eat well. However, up until now, it hasn’t been easy to get help in a simple way that lets you make informed food choices for your family,” Ms Livingstone said.

“The best part of the FoodSwitch app is that it takes the guesswork out of shopping by arming consumers with options for healthier products to purchase.”

Pat and Helen La Manna established a bequest to NSF by way of a charitable Foundation for very personal reasons. Helen has had a lifetime of high blood pressure and Pat has had a stroke. Their bequest was established in 2000 as a thank you because they both benefitted from stroke prevention and recovery treatment. Their wish is that their bequest help find a cure for stroke. Helen’s grandfather died of a stroke and after his stroke Pat promised himself that if he recovered he would work for charity. They are comforted to know their bequest will benefit everyone’s future. They meticulously researched the best way National Stroke Foundation could benefit from their bequest intentions and so their own Foundation was established. When in business they donated a percentage of every box of bananas sold plus a percentage of their takings from another business resulting in a high interest return to the Foundation.

Pat and Helen, who will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on the 9th December, believe that generosity is contagious.

“People who don’t give learn about generosity from those around them,” they said.

Helen prefers to give without acknowledgement while Pat believes that he can help people become aware that giving makes a difference. Their differences complement their belief that, ‘giving is a gift’.

Pat was named Senior Australian of the Year in 2009, has a Papal Knighthood and is the recipient of a Lions International Award. They fund a research grant on ‘feasibility of a home-based program to improve handwriting legibility after stroke’.

Donors who leave a bequest to the NSF as part of their will may choose to leave a percentage of their estate or a specific dollar amount. If you would like more information please call our donor liaison team on 1300 194 196 or email Bequest@strokefoundation.com.au

New research warnings about the safety of daily doses of aspirin in people who do not have a history of heart attack or stroke reflect soon-to-be-released Australian guidelines on the management of cardiovascular risk, the National Vascular Disease Prevention Alliance (NVDPA) announced.

Professor Stephen Colagiuri, Chair of the NVDPA Expert Working Group that developed the new Guidelines for the Management of Absolute Cardiovascular Risk, said that previous studies have also shown that when people with no previous history of heart attack or stroke are taking medication for blood pressure or cholesterol lowering, adding aspirin has limited benefit.

“In fact aspirin can do more harm than good in these people because of the increased risk of serious gastric bleeds,” Professor Colagiuri said.

A UK-led study this week released research suggesting that healthy people who take aspirin to prevent a heart attack or stroke could be doing more harm than good.

The study, an analysis of more than 100,000 patients and published in Archives of Internal Medicine, concluded the risk of internal bleeding was too high.

Researchers stressed that aspirin has been shown to be safe and effective for people who have had a heart attack or stroke and it is still recommended for people who are able to take it who have had a cardiovascular event.

The new Australian guidelines recommend that aspirin or other similar agents should not be taken routinely by people with no previous history of heart attacks or stroke.

Professor Colagiuri recommended that people concerned about their risk of cardiovascular disease should see their doctor to have a risk assessment, which will calculate their likelihood of developing disease in the next five years based on a number of risk factors such as smoking status, blood pressure, cholesterol, age and diabetes. He said, however, that no one should stop taking their regular medication without first consulting their GP.

The Guidelines for the Management of Absolute Cardiovascular Disease Risk have been prepared by the National Vascular Disease Prevention Alliance, a consortium comprising Diabetes Australia, Kidney Health Australia, the National Heart Foundation of Australia and the National Stroke Foundation.

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The link between osteoporosis (where the bones become fragile and brittle and more prone to breaking) and stroke is still not entirely clear but we know that people affected by stroke have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis than people of similar age without stroke. Bone loss after stroke is often rapid and more pronounced in the side of the body that was affected by the stroke. Although the cause of bone loss is unclear, the amount of bone loss experienced by people with stroke appears related to the length of time they are immobile, the extent of muscle weakness and atrophy (shrinking muscles) and reduced weight bearing activities (like walking) and fitness.

Associate Professor Julie Bernhardt, who is a member of the NSF Clinical Council and a specialist in stroke rehabilitation, says research is continuing into the best way of preventing osteoporosis after stroke but stroke survivors should be careful to reduce their risk of falling.

She recommends that you:
1. Reduce risks of falls by having an assessment of your home environment completed; this may include checking lighting, floor coverings and bathrooms.
2. Hand rails in some rooms may be useful
3. Make sure that your medications are monitored regularly (drug interactions and sleeping pills can increase your risk of falls)
4. Take part in regular exercise to help maintain your mobility, strength and balance.

Falls are common both in hospital and out. Therapy and nursing staff are particularly concerned about people affected by stroke having a fall and they may require that someone is with the person at all times when they walk, particularly in the early phase of rehabilitation. Not all falls lead to injury however, so it is always the case that the rehabilitation team weigh up the need for the stroke survivor to have independence (and practice being independent), with the possible risk of falling. Something that should be covered in a rehabilitation plan is teaching the person how to get up again if they fall but are not injured. This can be a really helpful thing to learn!

There is still a lot we need to learn about the link between stroke and bone loss and the most effective ways to prevent or slow it. There are a number of researchers around Australia interested in this issue and they hope to answer some of these questions in the coming years. In the mean time, be active and exercise as much as you can. It seems to be a promising intervention to help general well being and health as well as your bones.